Designer Jean Interviews

Would you like the chance to ask Paige Adams-Geller of Paige Premium Denim a question? I thought it would be a good idea to do a readers interview with her. DenimBlog readers can email me a question for Paige, we will select the best 10 and Paige will answer them. Send your question to editor@denimblog.com with the title ‘Paige Interview’. It’s as simple as that! You can make your questions as wacky as you like! The closing date for emails will be Friday 28th August so get emailing! The interview will be published as soon as Paige has answered the questions.

Ben Taverniti, the head designer of Hudson Jeans, was kind enough to offer DenimBlog an interview about his jeans, new styles, inspiration and more. Continue reading for this fantastic interview. The gallery also contains new Hudson jeans. A huge thank you to Ben for this!

DB: What inspires you the most when designing Hudson Jeans?
Hudson is not just a denim brand; it’s a ’way of life’. I find inspiration for the collections in every day moments and I use them to shape my vision and design of the line.

DB: What has been your favorite memory/experience since Hudson was founded?
RIGHT NOW! We’re at a very exciting time in the life of the brand. We’ve just signed Georgia May Jagger as the ‘face’ of Hudson and we’re just beginning to launch our new Fall 2009 campaign. The ad campaign was shot by Mario Sorrenti, styled by Camilla Nickerson, and created by David Lipman of the LIPMAN agency in New York.
It was very exciting to be able to work alongside such amazing talent and now I’m looking forward to the launching this new chapter.

DB: Do you have a favorite cut you have designed?
I love all of them. They’re like your children, you know? You love them all for their own uniqueness. There are always the occasional hellish moments that it took to get them to the beautiful state they are in now, but that makes me appreciate the design that much more.

DB: What are the hottest denim trends for Fall?
Flare. Distressed. Babyboot (a mix of straight leg and boot cut that hits just right at the ankle), baggy skinny, high-waist skinny, vintage distressed patchwork… That’s all I can share at the moment, or else I’ll be giving away all of the tricks up my sleeve.

DB: What is your inspiration when creating each jean?
I’m influenced by my surroundings and life experiences. It’s usually a mix of where I’m traveling, books and magazines I come across, and my interactions with interesting people. If you are sensitive enough to your surroundings, you pick up on the details and they become a part of who you are.

DB: How many pairs of jeans do you own?
I have so many I have lost count! I have some in Paris and some here (in LA) and a lot in storage. But I have my favorites … the flavor of the month is black distressed 12” leg opening super skinny … repaired and patchwork … undoubtedly Hudson.

DB: What Hudson cut has been the most popular overall?
We offer a wide variety of fits and styles, so it is hard to lock in on just one. If I had to pick, I’d say the boot cut and skinny have always been popular styles for us and consistently continue to perform well.

DB: We all love denim, but what is it that makes denim so important to you?
I am a blue blood for sure. It’s part of my DNA and makes me who I am. I am and always will be eternally in love with denim.

DB: Can you tell us a bit more about your brand?
Hudson Jeans was born in California, but rooted in London. The brand is the perfect combination of British cool and California freedom. The HUDSON girl/guy is effortlessly stylish, takes chances, irreverent, and creates their own destiny, always. Style is woven in.

DB: What makes your brand so different from the others out there?
We are very confident in who we are and we stay true to the brand ALWAYS. We will never ride a trend for trend’s sake.

DB: Lastly, is there anything else you would like to add that we haven’t asked you?
I love fast cars and tattoos…Thank you very much for the interview. Back to work!

My goal is to highlight a woman’s silhouette, allowing her to express herself in a seductive and sexy way through fashion. I designed the first pair for my girlfriend because she was wearing jeans that, frankly, sucked. She challenged me to make a better pair, so I did and seven years later here we are.

DB: What has been your favorite memory/experience since R&R was founded?

Way too many to list…it has truly been a blast.

DB: Do you have a favorite cut you have designed?

For men, it would have to be the Colburg which is an ultra low-rise skinny…I wear them every day. The Skinny Bitch for women is extremely sexy. We have been doing skinny jeans since the inception of the company.

DB: How many pairs of jeans do you own?

Too many.

DB: What R&R cut has been the most popular overall?
The Neil lowrise straight for men and the Berlin lowrise skinny for women continue to be tried and true favorites.

DB: How do you design your colorful and pretty back pockets? Do the ideas just come to you instantly?
I pull ideas from everything around me. I love strong colors that are bold and striking.

DB: What would you say is the best feature of an R&R jean? (fit, fabric, pocket etc)
Fit, quality and wash…although, fabric and pocket design are certainly at the top as well.

DB: Are there any new trends coming out next season that we should be keeping an eye out for?
Daring and extreme washes. As far as fit goes, the skinny will continue getting skinnier and tighter, which is where the denim legging comes in.

DB: The boyfriend jeans trend has been a huge hit this season; will we be seeing anymore of this trend from you?
We’ve done our own skinny rendition on the boyfriend that remains true to the rock aesthetic. Jeans should still fit well, even if they are baggy.

DB: We all love denim, but what is it that makes denim so important to you?

It’s like comfort food…something that you can turn to that makes you feel good no matter what.

DB: What inspiration goes into creating your washes?

We pride ourselves in being innovators. Our denim development team is always experimenting with different techniques.

DB: What makes your brand so different from the others out there?
Rock & Republic embodies a lifestyle. We aren’t just clothes you wear…we are who you want to be.

DB: R&R makes jeans, make up, shoes, clothing… what is next in line?
You’ll have to wait and see! The sky’s the limit.

DB: Which celeb wears R&R the best?

All of our celebrity fans wear them well, that’s the purpose of our fits…they work on all body types. Recently though, I’ve liked seeing Beyonce in our clothes- she has great style.

DB: I own a lot of R&R jeans myself and often a lot of us have to hem them, are you going to be making a petites line for us shorter ladies out there?

Actually, we already do. We have five styles including the Skinny B@#$h lowrise, Sofie lowrise bootcut, Brie lowrise straight and Reese lowrise bootcut which are available in a 32” inseam. The Posey lowrise skinny is availability in a 29” inseam.

Shopbop were lucky enough to get an interview with the lovely designers Emily Current and Meritt Elliott, the designers and founders of Current/Elliott. To shop the Current/Elliott collection, click here. To read the history of the brand, click here.

We’ve read that you’re both big fans of vintage jeans, and that you launched Current/Elliott (in part) to recreate your favorite styles from the past. But clearly your line is much more than a trip down (denim) memory lane: how do you find that balance of innovation and nostalgia in your designs?

The wonderful part about vintage is that it is absolutely limitless! We always look to history for inspiration, but challenge ourselves to make everything relevant, comfortable, and flattering. We rely on our fashion instinct to understand what proportions, fabrics, and details are needed in the marketplace and then magic!…our favorite pieces!

Your label can be credited with bringing the boyfriend jean to prominence. When did you start to understand you had a huge hit on your hands? Why do you think women responded so strongly to this new silhouette?

We have been wearing the boyfriend jean for as long as we can remember! We love it! A looser, more relaxed fit always has a home in every woman’s closet: it is a timeless denim must-have. We think everyone was craving this easy, worn silhouette as a departure from a sea of tight, dark denim. It perfectly complements the kind of tops and shoes women are loving right now.

Unlike the va-va-voom appeal of a painted-on skinny, your styles have more of an unstudied sexiness. Did you set out to change the direction of denim with your relaxed, boyish fits?

We just knew it didn’t exist! We think sexy IS effortlessness. Denim is best when it’s comfortable and worn with ease. Our fits are inspired by vintage and menswear bodies, mixed with our secret design methods that make women look and feel fantastic.

What role do your styling backgrounds play in the design process?

Styling affects how we design every day. Firstly, we know what is missing and needed in the marketplace. Secondly, because we have tailored and tricked-out clothes for so many years, we have a jumpstart on how to flatter and fit. Finally, we consider how things should be styled from the get-go. We incorporate how the piece should be worn from the very first sketch.

Is designing a collaborative process for you two, or do you each go to your respective corners (so to speak) and come back with ideas for pieces? How do you decide which pieces make it into the final collection?

It’s absolutely collaborative. We have worked together all day every day for over ten years. We finish each other’s sentences. It’s also an instinct, a lot of risk-taking, and a ridiculous love affair with fashion. You never fail to surprise us with some new style we can’t believe we lived without. Can you give us any hints about what’s coming next from Current/Elliott?

Thank you! While we can’t give away any of our surprises, we can promise to introduce some new silhouettes, fabrics, and fits that are to die for. We just can’t stop! Our denim obsession is insatiable!